Tuesday, October 15, 2013

First/Last-Elsinore

"Sparkling songcraft. Unbridled inspiration. Disciplined arrangements.
PUSH/PULL, the forthcoming release from Champaign-Urbana, IL indie
stalwarts Elsinore is a creative triumph by a band that cannot be
discouraged. What’s their secret? Elsinore’s sunny secret is that they are part pop quartet, part
lemonade stand. When life as a band, bootstrapping themselves out of the
Midwestern mud into the limelight, gives them lemons, they make
lemonade. Cool, cool, sweet lemonade."

The first album you ever bought?
I went through a really huge Jr. High hip-hop phase. I'm pretty sure it was a
Bobby Brown record. Amazing.

Your last album bought?
I've been a little slow lately, so I think it was the Atoms for Peace LP. Also
amazing. And my one-year-old son Oliver REALLY shakes it to that one.

Favorite album of all time?
“Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band”. I always challenge it with other close
ones, but it's been holding strong for fifteen years.

Least favorite/most disappointing
album?
Well, as much as I loved the Fleet Foxes' debut, I immediately ran out to buy “Helplessness
Blues”, and ironically I felt a little of both after one listen. It
juuuuuuuuuuuust didn't do anything for me. It's on deck for another listening,
but I'm not expecting some huge discovery. I think I had just built it up too
much based on the first record. That's not a good move sometimes.

First concert attended?
I found music later than a lot of people (17), so I don't have any great
"When I was 13 I saw Nirvana in Chicago and my life would never be the
same again" stories. But, I'm pretty sure it was Lollapalooza '95 in St.
Louis featuring Primus, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Prodigy, & Tool. Whoa.

Last concert?
This has been a crazy year because of the birth of our son. There hasn't been a
ton of concert-going lately. So, I think it might have been Radiohead in St.
Louis on the ‘King of Limbs’ tour. Despite being in the hockey arena, the stage
show and performance was amazing!

Favorite concert ever?
Sufjan Stevens here in Urbana at the Canopy Club on the ‘Illinoise’ tour. Or
Radiohead outside in St. Louis on the ‘In Rainbows’ tour. Or The Flaming
Lips at Summer Camp here in Illinois a few years ago just two hours after we
played a smaller stage.

Least favorite concert?
Nothing comes to mind, which is refreshing.

Any thoughts,
experiences about Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh has been fun for us so far. I think we've played Howler's twice, the
Smiling Moose once, and Club Cafe on the ‘Yes Yes Yes’ tour in 2010. We'd
love to keep building our fanbase there because there's obviously a huge group
of people living there who appreciate and support music like ours. We'll be
back again soon!

Thanks, Ryan. Congrats on the kid, man. Nothing more rock and roll than changing diapers, huh?